Yamal cleared to feature in World Cup final, De la Fuente confirms
By Joel Masibo, July 18, 2026Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has confirmed that teenage star Lamine Yamal is fully fit and ready to play in Sunday’s, July 19, 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina after shaking off an injury concern.
The 19-year-old attacker raised doubts over his availability after he was seen limping following Spain’s 2-0 semifinal victory over France. He also sat out Thursday’s, July 16, 2026 training session, prompting speculation about his condition.
Addressing reporters on Friday, July 17, 2026, De la Fuente explained that Yamal’s absence was purely precautionary.
Strong knock
“He had a strong knock, which was very painful,” De la Fuente said. “Just to err on the side of caution, we decided to give him some rest. He was fine in training today. He participated with his teammates. He is fine and in optimal condition.”
The Spain boss added that the squad’s final workout on Saturday, July 18, 2026, would serve as the last opportunity to assess players before kickoff at New York New Jersey Stadium.
“That’s the most critical time,” he said. “If there are any setbacks, there won’t be time to recover.”
Spain will be appearing in its first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 2010, while Argentina is aiming to retain the title after triumphing in 2022 and secure a fourth world crown following previous victories in 1978 and 1986.
Having progressed through the tournament without defeat and conceding only once, De la Fuente believes both finalists deserve their place and expects an entertaining contest between two sides with comparable qualities.
“On Sunday we will watch a great show,” he said. “Two super teams, in my opinion, very similar in many respects in terms of attitude and talent. I believe both Spain and Argentina will have a game plan where talent and good football will rule over everything else.”
The two nations have taken contrasting paths to the title match. Spain has dominated games through possession and defensive solidity, while Argentina has repeatedly rescued victories with decisive late goals during the knockout rounds.
Argentina’s resilience
Even so, De la Fuente warned that Argentina’s resilience makes them dangerous regardless of the scoreline.
“They have been down on the scoreboard and been able to come back,” he said. “But we’ve also had situations like this in the history of our national team.
“Lionel Scaloni and myself, we both share many concepts, values and principles that drive teams. We’re similar, and that shows that in the biggest teams you require those attitudes. When things are so level, it’s all down to details.”
The Spanish coach also dismissed the idea of assigning a dedicated marker to Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who has contributed directly to 12 of his team’s 19 goals during the tournament.
Recalling an earlier encounter with Messi while coaching Sevilla’s youth side against Barcelona, De la Fuente shared why he prefers another approach.
“We went to Barcelona, and I had heard great things about a kid named Messi,” the 65-year-old said. “So we assigned a player to mark him man-to-man, but in the 70th minute, I substituted the marker because he was on a yellow card. The score was 0-0, and in the span of 15 minutes, Messi scored four goals against us. So we won’t use man-to-man marking this time. We have to stay alert and pay special attention, certainly.”
Instead of comparing Yamal to the Argentine legend, De la Fuente said the young winger should continue developing his own identity on the pitch.
“Messi is a role model to younger players, with his attitude and the way he plays,” he said. “Lamine has to be himself, and the best way we can support him is to let him be the person and footballer he is, because he has great potential.”